Excuse me, what did you just say?
by emaincharm
Summary: Severus discovers more about his vague past....
1. Default Chapter

The characters from HP do not belong to me.

*This is my 1st attempt at writing fanfiction so please be forgiving.

Chapter 1

            Albus Dumbledore sat down on his chair, recalling the past few days. As the minutes past, he got more and more sad. Voldemort has finally been defeated, but at what cost? James and Lily, both nice kids and countless others were now gone. Their son Harry, the boy who lived, was now living with his muggle relatives. 

'No! I should not be thinking about that. I made the right decision. Harry should be brought away from all this' he said to himself. 

'Liya, how I wish you were still here with me! Now we are all battered and scarred, these wounds will not easily heal. We need you more than ever now to help heal our souls! I can't help the others if my own life is also in tatters.'

            As much as Albus loved his wife, he knew dwelling on her memory would sink him into a deeper depression. Resolved to use his energy in a much productive way, Albus left his room and headed down to the dungeons. Severus Snape, the former Death Eater turned spy was moving into his new quarters today. After Voldemort's defeat, Albus had offered the young man the position of Hogwarts Potions Master. With the end of his spying days, Albus felt that Severus needed direction in his life. Perhaps teaching Potions would give him something to live for. 

'Severus has a great mind, he's brilliant in his studies and would become one of the finest Potions Master in history' Albus repeated to himself. 

Yet no matter how many times he repeated that phrase, Albus could not convince himself. Yes, what he said was true, Severus was brilliant but that wasn't the real reason why Albus hired him.

 Deep in his heart, Albus knew he just wanted to get to know the boy better. He wanted to know if there was even a faint possibility that his suspicions were correct…


	2. When someone is found

The characters from HP obviously do not belong to me.

Chapter 2

(Flashback to the past)

The warmth of the fire greeted him as he entered the house. The table was set and he could smell dinner cooking in the kitchen. Settling down on his armchair, he made himself comfortable as he went through the day's meeting. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up he saw his beautiful wife smiling down at him. 

'Tough day?' she asked.

'Any meeting with the Ministry is always tedious', he answered, standing up.

 'Why did they want to see you?' 

'Sources report that Riddle and his followers have been sighted at Glasgow. The Ministry thinks they have something big planned. They want me to go down tomorrow with a couple of Aurors and check things out. I'm afraid…' his next words were interrupted when something barreled into the room and attached itself to his leg.

'Daddy! You're home!' it cried. At the sound of that voice, all his worries flew away as he bent down to pick up his son…. 

That was the last time Albus saw his wife and son alive. While investigating in Glasgow, he had received the news that the Dumbledore summer house had been attacked. He had returned home immediately, only to find the house in shambles and no sign of his wife and child.

Worried to death, he had not slept a wink for two days before the Ministry contacted him. They had found Liya. Her body had washed up on a beach but there was no sign of their son… The Ministry believed that young Severus's body had been swept away by the tide, forever lost at sea.

Refusing to accept that both his wife and son were dead, Albus devoted much time in his search for his son and the apprehension of the wizards who were responsible. Three wizards were eventually caught and thrown into Azkaban, but none of his sources ever found any information about Severus. As the years past, all hope of Severus's survival had faded from his heart.

However that changed soon after Severus Snape turned himself in to Albus. During the numerous night meetings when Severus reported to him, Albus could not help but notice how Severus resembled him when he himself was young.

In all the years that Severus Snape had been in Hogwarts, Albus never once connected him with his missing son. Now, upon getting to know the young man better, he was amazed that he had never noticed the similarities both Severus Snape and Severus Dumbledore had shared.

Perhaps Severus Snape was his long-lost son….

With these thoughts running through his head, Albus continued walking towards the dungeons. Suddenly, a letter materialized out of thin air in front of him. Surprised and curious, he took it. It was a simple envelope with no seal; it only had his name, Albus Dumbledore, on the front.

He opened it and was startled to see who it was from. It was written by Liya Dumbledore, 15 years ago, on the day of the attack.

'Dear Albus' it read, 'if you receive this letter, then I am dead and Tom Riddle has been defeated…'

As he read on, the events of that fateful day were unfolded before his eyes. His suspicions were correct. Severus Snape was his son.


	3. A strange occurence

The characters of HP do not belong to me.

Chapter 3

'Now that I know he is my son, what do I do?' Albus asked himself. A part of him wanted to run down to the dungeons and tell Severus, but he did not. Amidst his feelings, the rational part of him told him to think first, before acting on his impulses. Turning around, he headed back to his rooms where he could decide what course of action to take.

'I can't tell him! He is still distant and wary. He'll never accept me.' Albus argued to himself.

That night, he didn't sleep well, tossing and turning, his thoughts in turmoil. In the morning, he left his room tired but decided. He would keep this information to himself. Severus would be safe this way. Perhaps one day, when Severus has learnt to trust again, when they both knew each other better…

[14 yrs later]

Severus Snape was not in a good mood. The day had been disastrous; three exploding cauldrons and Longbottom managing to turn himself pink. Marking the second years' atrocious essays had left him in an even fouler mood.

'The day can't possibly get any worse' he muttered to himself as two first year Hufflepuffs leaped out of his way at the sight of his dark face. He hurried into his rooms and slammed the door shut. 'Perhaps a good read will calm me down' he thought. 'Shakespeare always works.'

As he reached towards his bookshelf, he felt his Dark Mark burning. 'I should take back my words, the day just got worse' he said grimly to himself. Contrary to rumors, he did not hate Harry Potter and Gryffindors, he merely disliked them. The only person he hated was Voldemort. Attending Death Eater meetings were not events he looked forward to…

Hurrying out the door, he grimaced at the thought of the next few hours. The previous night, their attack on a wizard family had failed; Voldemort would not be pleased…

(Several hours later)

Hagrid patrolled the grounds of the Dark Forest, waiting for Professor Snape to return from his meeting. The Professor sometimes returned in a bad shape, and Professor Dumbledore depended on Hagrid to help him back to the castle. Just then, he noticed a dark shape on the ground before him. It was Professor Snape, and he was in a bad shape. He was unconscious, and the snow around him was painted red by his blood.

Carefully picking up Severus, Hagrid quickly made his way to the infirmary. Although Severus often returned from his meetings injured. Hagrid had never seen him as bad as this…

Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Madam Pomfrey were waiting for them. As he laid Severus on the bed, Hagrid noticed Dumbledore turning pale upon taking in Severus' severe injuries.

'How is he?' Dumbledore asked.

'He was under the Cruciatus curse for quite some time and his injuries are quite bad, but they will heal.' Madam Pomprey answered examining him. 'Don't worry, he'll be…Oh my!'

'What is it?' Dumbledore cried.

'His wounds….they're healing on their own! Look, the open wounds are closing!'

'But that's impossible!' McGonagall exclaimed. 'No wizard can heal themselves! Isn't that right, Albus?' 

'What's going on?' a voice interrupted their conversation. It was Severus. He was sitting up in bed, his wounds all fully healed. 

'What is the last thing you remember, Severus?' Dumbledore asked.

'He put us through the Cruciatus curse for our failure. I must have blacked out because the next thing I knew, I woke up on the ground alone. I apparated here and I guess I fainted again.' Severus answered. 'What were you talking about?'

'Your wounds healed by themselves.' Madam Pomfrey told him.

'That's ridiculous! Self healing is impossible!' Severus protested.

'No. There have been cases of wizards healing themselves before. Perhaps if you would step in my office Severus...' Dumbledore trailed off.

A confused and frightened Severus followed the headmaster, leaving behind three equally confused colleagues. All of them, wondering at Severus' abnormal healing powers…


	4. When some answers are found

The characters from HP do not belong to me.

Chapter 4

'Have a sit, Severus. What you hear next might give you a shock.'

'What is happening to me, sir?' Severus asked as he sat down.

'Have you ever heard of the Mista family, Severus?' Albus asked.

'Yes, they are one of the oldest wizard families, a rather unusual one as well. All of the Mista line are able to use wandless magic. Their magic abilities are much more powerful than normal wizards and for centuries, experts have been trying to uncover the reason why. What does the Mista family have to do with me?' Severus asked.

 'Over the years, several members of the family have displayed self-healing powers. I believe you are the last surviving member of the Mista family.' Albus replied.

'That's impossible! They died out years ago. The last known member was…'

'Liya Mista. My wife. Your mother.' Albus interrupted. 

'Excuse me, what did you just say?' Severus asked, certain that he had misheard the headmaster.

'You're my son, Severus.' Albus answered.

Severus turned pale. His thoughts in turmoil at this revelation. All his life, he had wanted to find his family. Now, he had found his father. Albus Dumbledore. The father figure in his life.  The only person he trusted. Yet he was furious.

'You're my father and you never told me?' Severus exclaimed. 'After all these years, thinking that I was abandoned and unwanted, you suddenly just tell me this bit of information!' 

'Severus, I…'

'Excuse me, but I need to be alone!' Severus said sweeping out of the room and slamming the door behind him. 

'I've lost him!' Albus thought to himself in despair as he ran down to the dungeons after Severus. 'He hates me!'

When he entered Severus' quarters, the room was in total darkness. He switched on the lights to reveal Severus lying on his bed, his face flushed with anger.

'What are you doing here? I said I wanted to be left alone!' Severus hissed at him, standing up.

'Severus, we need to talk.' Albus said, taking a step towards him.

'Talk? For the past fourteen years you kept this from me. You are in no position to lecture me!' Severus shot back.

The headmaster was no father of his. He had grown up without a clue to his past. He had no parents. They were dead to him when they left him at the doorstep of the bookshop.

'I couldn't tell you because I had to protect you. If Voldemort even suspected that you were alive, he would not rest until you were dead as well. I could not bear to lose you again!' Albus exclaimed, hoping that Severus would let him explain.

Severus stared at him. Did he think that made things alright! 'Explain? You want to explain? Alright, explain why you left me at Mr Brent's doorstep and allowed me to grow up without a single visit from my parents!' he yelled, venting out the frustration and anger he had kept inside him all these years.

Albus reached into his robes and pulled out Liya's letter. He had kept it with him all the time. Creases and folds in it indicating the numerous times he had read it over and over again. He handed it to Severus.

"If you want to know what happened, you should read that letter. It will tell you the fateful events that led to your mother's death and the abandoning of you, our only child.'


End file.
